Week 16: The Shield - Part 2: A Protected Heart and Pretty Feet

We will pick up this week with our study of the armour of God and look at 2 more pieces of a prepared soldier's attire.

The second item of armour mentioned in Eph. 6:14 is the breastplate of righteousness. I have heard debate and read varying descriptions over whether or not a breastplate was armour that primarily covered the chest and lower abdominal area or armour that covered these areas as well as one's back. Either way, the intent of the piece was to protect all the vital organs, especially the heart and lungs. Without this critical piece of armour, a soldier was vulnerable to potentially fatal wounds.

In spiritual comparison, the breastplate of righteousness serves to protect our vital spiritual organ, the heart. The Bible instructs us in Proverbs 4:23 to "keep [our] heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life." I think the righteousness mentioned here can be described two-fold. First, when a person accepts Christ as Savior, he or she beomes righteous through Christ for all eternity (Romans 5:19). So, in that sense, we put on a breastplate of righteousness at the moment of our salvation. However, I think we have to strive daily to live a righteous or pleasing life before God. One form of the Greek definition describles righteousness as used here as the "justice or virtue which gives each his due." In other words, could your daily character and walk be said to be righteous by others?

Thus, as our hearts are protected with Christ's righteousness and as we strive to live Christ-like lives, we are able to effectively combat the devil. Believe me, he would like nothing more than to cut a hole straight into the heart of Christ's followers. If you have been saved, he has already lost the battle over your soul; but if he can make your heart weak and vulnerable, he keeps you from effectively participating in the Christian race. Therefore, it's no wonder when he throws the blows of a guilty past directly at our heart. On our own, when we are hit with those kinds of blows, we will undoubtedly crumble because all of our righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). However, as we have already established, once we are saved, we are made righteous through the work of Christ on the cross (II Corinthians 5:21), and God has promised that no weapon formed against us shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17).

Thus, when our hearts are protected with both aspects of righteousness, we press forward in the battle and work to strengthen fellow Christian soldiers and win more souls for the cause of Christ. Which leads me to our next piece of battle attire.

In verse 15, Christians are instructed to have their feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. A soldier who doesn't keep his feet well taken of care of during battle won't last long on the field. I've heard former soldiers' and athelets' stories of how they protected their feet when having to walk or run long distances in order to keep them from becoming sore, blistered, or infected.

The spiritual application here is just as important. If we aren't preparing our feet to take us down paths where we can be a light for Christ, we aren't obeying Christ's commandments. Christ told us in Mark 16:15 to go into all the world and preach the gospel. When we are saved, we have a divine duty and priviledge to tell others of Christ's gospel of peace. A gospel that can save a soul from an eternity in hell and one that brings earthly peace to the believer as well. We have the opportuinity to help others be able to say, "It is well with my soul." Romans 10:15 tells us "how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things." This doesn't mean you have to be a preacher in the professional sense of the word. This simply means telling your faith and sharing your salvation testimony with others. Properly prepared feet are what Christ calls pretty feet.

In closing, let me ask, is your heart protected, and do you have pretty feet? Friend, I hope you do!


References

Holy Bible, KJV

Strong's Concordance of Hebrew & greek Lexicons, http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G1343&t=KJV

Breastplate of Righteousness, http://www.christcenteredmall.com/teachings/armor-of-god-3.htm

Sandles of Peace, http://www.christcenteredmall.com/teachings/armor-of-god-4.htm